What Happens Next
by KayHawkGirl
Summary: Nine years after the war was won, the Gaang are living in peace and starting their own families. But with a half water tribe fire prince, a non-bender warrior, a little air and earth bender, and a pregnant Toph how peaceful can life be? Zutara, Taang, SokkaxSuki, Past ZukoxMei, Past Kataang
1. Chapter 1

What Happened Next

Chapter One

"Katara, this has gone on long enough," the gruff voice of her father reached her ears.

Katara let out a soft sigh as she finished tending to the small hands she was holding, using her healing water. The soft glow died down and she wiped the rest of the stray tears from her niece's tan cheek before looking around at the rest of the occupants in the tent. GranGran and Pakku were sitting by the fire, with Hakoda standing beside them, in front of Katara her niece, Yue, was sitting on her mother, Suki's lap, with Sokka standing behind his wife. The last was her two year old son who was sitting dejectedly against the far wall, his knees up to his chest and his amber eyes refusing to make contact with the rest of his family. Katara felt herself sadden at the sight, it hadn't been his fault, as they had told him, but this wasn't the first accident either.

She had lost count of how many times she had told Roku that he must not use his firebending, but he was stubborn, even at his early age. 'Just like his father,' Katara caught herself thinking, but quickly pushed that thought aside. She hadn't seen her sons father, the man that haunts her dreams at night, in three years and she had planned to keep it that way, but it appeared her family had other plans.

"Sweety, I love my grandson, you know I do, but he can't stay here, he needs a master to teach him, whether that's his father, Iroh, or some other firebender, he can't stay untrained," Hakoda said gently placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"And why not, I stayed untrained for the first fourteen years of my life!," Katara said desperately. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, just like she knew the next words to fall out of her dad's mouth. She didn't want to leave her home though, and more importantly she didn't want to travel to the fire nation and risk running into him. He didn't even know he had a child and if Ozai's supports knew he did Roku would be in constant danger.

"You already know the answer to that," Hakoda's voice had taken on a stern tone, "An untrained firebender is much more dangerous than an untrained waterbender,"

Katara wanted to defend her element, but she knew it was true, while a master waterbender could be as deadly as a master firebender, an untrained firebender was more dangerous. Her mind flashing back to the time Aang was first learning to control fire, how unpredictable it could be, that led to her hands being burned, if she hadn't been a healer her hands would probably still be scarred all these years later.

"Katara," Sokka spoke up the first time since his daughter ran inside crying, holding her hands close to her, with Roku behind her, tears mimicking his cousins. "You do remember what it had been like all those years you were untrained, you don't want to deny your son a teacher like you had been, do you?," his eyes moving from his nephew to his sister, and he knew he had her.

Even though Sokka had constantly complained about his sister's 'magic water', he understood why she had been so insistent on learning to master it. Katara had been the last water bender in the Southern Water Tribe, just like, no matter how hard he had tried to train the younger boys, he had been the last warrior.

The young mother didn't want her son to feel the same hopelessness she had felt when she was younger, before she and Sokka had found Aang.

'No, I will not let Roku feel like that,' she thought with determination running through her. She didn't want to go back to the fire nation, but she was a parent now, and parents make sacrifices for the good of their children.

Sokka smirked when he saw the fire determination return to his sisters eyes, "So, when are you leaving?,"

"Hump, you can't get rid of me that easy, Sokka, I don't even know how I'm suppose to get there, it's not like I can canoe my way to the fire nation,"

"Aang is suppose to be here for political reasons in three days time, I'm sure he wouldn't mind flying you and Roku over there," Hokaka said, being the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, he was always up to date when the Avatar was coming to visit.

Nodding to her father, Katara returned her attention to the little girl who was clinging to her mother. You looked like any of the other residents of the Water Tribes with brown hair that went down past her shoulders, with a braid woven into the front left side of her bangs with blue beads, dark skin, and clear blue eyes.

"You okay now Yue?," making the young girl look at her, after receiving a nod Katara continued, " You know Roku didn't mean to burn you right?," The Water master looked over to her son to see him looking at Yue, but when he caught his mother's gaze he quickly looked away again. "It's okay, I forgive him, daddy said he can't control his fire, so it's okay," Yue said with a soft smile.

"You're so brave, you're going to make a fine warrior when you grow up," Katara's smile copying her niece's when Yue's eyes widened in wonder, "Yep, just like mommy and daddy," she exclaimed, hugging Suki tighter, before giving a wide yawn, making the adults in the room chuckle.

"I think it's time for this little warrior to go to bed," Suki said with a soft smile. Standing up, she put one arm under her daughter's bottom and the other across her back to keep her in place, Yue's head laying on her mother's shoulder half asleep, her healed injuries already forgotten.

"I'll help you pack in the morning if you want," Suki said when her a Sokka reached the door.

"That'd be great, thanks," Katara answered, making a list of everything they would need to take. After a wave the small family of three headed out into the night, back to their own tent.

She felt the hand on her shoulder give a small squeeze and she turned to look up at her dad, "I just want you to know how proud I am of you, you've grown into a fine young women," Hodaka said hugging his daughter, then walking over to Roku, "I'll see you later, buddy," ruffling his wavy brown hair before heading out and throwing a good night over his shoulder.

Katara turned to see Gran Gran and Pokku beside her, " Do you think I'm doing the right thing?,"

Kanna regarded her granddaughter for a moment before giving a slight nod, "Yes, I do,"

"Even if it means leaving my home?,"

"Child, you act like you are never coming back, you can still visit us anytime you want, scratch that, you better visit, I want to be able to see my great grandson grow up," Kanna said, bring Katara into her arms.

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Katara noded and hugged back before pulling back.

"It's a shame I won't be able to teach him waterbending, but I know any child of yours will be strong, no matter what element they bend," Pakku said from where he stood behind Kanna.

"Thanks Pakku," Katara said, and soon after they to had headed out to their own tent, leaving just her and her son.

"Come on Roku, time for bed," Katara said, picking up her quiet son, and pulling back the flap that led to the part of the tent that held his bed, mainly made up of furs.

Katara tucked Roku in, after she had dressed him in his sleeping clothes, and kissing his forehead, she stood up to leave when she heard his soft voice.

"Mommy, am I a monster?,"

Katara felt her heart skip a beat, and turning around to face her son she answered, "Of course not baby, where did you hear that?," squatting down to be closer to him, silently swearing to severely torment whoever put that thought in her son's head.

Looking up at her with wide innocent eyes he muttered, "The older kids said that their parents said that firebenders were monsters that hurt people,"

Looking up and blowing a stray piece of hair out of her face she hesitantly said, "Well...that was true during the war, when the fire nation raided our village they left an ugly image of firebenders in the minds of the people here, but now there is a new fire lord who is helping create an era of peace,"

"With uncle Aang?,"

"Yeah, with uncle Aang," She smiled, pulling him on her lap and quickly lifting his shirt to blow on his stomach, causing a joyful laughter to fill the tent. Katara tucked him back into bed, and resting her forehead against his she said," Now get some sleep, we got a lot to do tomorrow,"

* * *

"Avatar Aang!,"

"Aang!,"

"Aangs here!,"

The children all screamed as Appa landed in the center of the village, and Aang used his airbending to fly himself and his son off the bison and safely on the snow covered grown.

"Aang, it's so good to see you," Katara said walking up to the airbender and giving him a hug, "and Gyatso too," pulling back to get a better look at the black hair, green eyed, three year old boy. When Katara looked at him he quickly hid his face in the crook of his dads neck, the small airbender was very shy, which was surprising considering who his mother is.

"Gya'!," Roku and Yue yelled, running up to them, "My moms going to help us build a snowman wanna come?," Yue asked.

Gyatso looked up at his dad who laughed before standing him on his feet, "Go on," Aang said nugging him as the three kids took off to where Suki was standing a few feet away.

"Dad and Sokka are waiting for you in the head tent," Katara said, heading toward said place, Aang following closely behind. "So, how have you been?," Katara broke the silence.

"Good, Gyatso been doing really good with his bending, and I can't wait to find out if Lin is an airbender or not,"

"She's still not showing any bending?," Lin had turned two years old a few months ago, the age that children start to if they have bending or not and which element the bend. "Have you thought that maybe she's a non-bender, I know both you and her mother has bending but I've heard of instances like that where the child is born with no bending,"

"Well, even if thats true it wouldn't matter, I'd still love her just as much as her brother and younger sibling,"

"That's gre-, wait younger sibling?,"

"Yeah, we're expecting again, two months along,"

"Gesh, you two need to slow down, this is going to be your third kid,"

"That's exactly what she said," Aang replied laughing, "I know where starting to become a big family, but I always say 'the more the merrier',"

"Yes, well, you're not the one who has to carry the baby,"

Laughter once again reached her ears, "That's what she said to!,"

When they reached the tent Sokka and Hodaka were indeed already waiting there and looked up when they entered the tent, "Well, I'm going to let you guys talk political, I got to go make sure my son isn't getting into too much trouble," Katara said before exiting the tent and heading in the direction she had seen Suki and the kids go to.

**This is my first Avatar story so if any of the characters feel out of character feel free to tell me just like with any of my stories. I had taken a break from writing, so this is like a test chapter to see how rusty my skills have gotten. I hope you liked the first chapter and I'll try to get the second chapter up a soon as I can. **


	2. Chapter 2

What Happens Next

Chapter 2

"You sure that's everything, we won't be able to turn around once we start moving," Aang said from his seat in front of the saddle on Appa, holding the reins in one hand.

Katara had just fastened down the last of the supplies in the back of the saddle when Aang started talking. "Yep, we should have enough to hold us till we get to the Fire Nation," Katara said turning around to face the two toddlers that sat in front of her.

"Oh, we're not heading for the Fire Nation first, I have a few stops to make before that, you know Avatar duties and all that," Aang told her looking over his shoulder.

"That's fine, I understand," She said, silently relived. The longer it took to reach the Fire Nation, the longer she could stall the inevitable meeting with the Fire Lord.

"If everyone's ready then we're off!," Aang said loudly, turning around and yelling the all too familiar "Yip Yip,", cracking the reins. With a groan sounding roar and a flap of his giant tail, Appa took off into the air.

Katara had to quickly grab Roku from where he was hanging halfway off the saddle, waving to the villagers, before he fell off and sat him in her lap.

"Bye, Yue, see you later!,"

"Bye Bye, Roku," Yue answered from where she at on her fathers shoulders.

Katara just raised a hand in a small wave, having already said her farewells to her family before she started loading the supplies.

Once the village was out of sight, Katara felt a slight tugging on the white fur of her sleeve, having decided to keep her and Roku's heavy Water Tribe outfits on, minus the gloves, until they reached a warmer climate. She looked down at Gyatso who was shyly smiling up at her.

"Watch this," he said, putting both his pale hands together, like he was trying to hold his own hand, in front of him before moving them parallel to each other, a green marble started spinning slowly at first before speeding up to look like a circle of green.

"Wow, Gyatso, that's amazing!," Katara said trying to sound encouraging having already seen Aang perform that trick many times over.

"How are you doing that?," Roku asked, trying to move his head closer to the marble that was seemingly spinning magically between his friends hands.

"It's an airbending trick my daddy showed me," Gyatso's smile now largely resembling that of Aangs.

"Hump," Aang groaned, making Katara turn her attention from his son to him. Aang was now facing the saddle, his back leaning on Appa's head, his yellow clad left leg stretched out with his right foot resting on his left thigh making a four shape, and arms crossed.

Raising an eyebrow, Katara asked, "What?," only for the Avatar to turn his head to the side, refusing to look at her, his bottom lip stuck out like a pouting kid instead of the grown man of twenty-one, or one hundred-twenty one which ever way you looked at it, that he truly was.

"What is your problem?," her voice raising an octave and hands going to her hips, thankfully not disturbing the boys from their mini talent show.

"You didn't have that kind of reaction when I first showed it to you," Aang mumbled.

Katara almost didn't hear him over the wing, but when she did a look of confusion crossed her face, before a slightly annoyed one replaced it when she figured out what her long time friend was talking about. "Oh, would you stop acting like such a child," Katara told him rolling her eyes.

* * *

Katara pulled the thick, dark blue blanket higher to the boys chins, Roku sprawled eagle spread, Gyatso curled into a ball, sucking on his thumb. They were both in deep sleep in the back of the saddle. Katara sat back in the front near Aang, who hadn't moved from his spot, and pulled her own blanket tighter around her to shield herself from the chilly night air. They were out of the freezing south, but flying above the ocean didn't make for the warmest place when the sun went down.

"Hey Aang?," Katara called out softly after a while, not wanting to wake the children.

"Hmm?," was the sleepy answer she received.

"Where all do we have to stop before traveling to the Fire Nation?,"

"Mmm, first stop would be back home, to see Toph and Lin," Katara couldn't help but smile at hearing the fondness in Aang's voice when ever he spoke of his wife and children. He would often have to leave them for weeks, if not months at a time, traveling around the world to make sure the peace was maintained, it had to have been lonely, it was only recently that Gyatso had gotten to start leaving with his father, so he could learn airbending.

There were many times, before Roku was born, when she use to wonder if it would have been the same situation if her and Aang had stayed together, but in the end the love she felt for Aang was that of an older sister or maybe even a mother, but never a lover. No, as much as she longed for a proper family, she didn't regret the past and wouldn't trade her son for anything.

"Then I have to make a quick stop at Ba Sing Se and the last would be the Western Air Temples, to check on how the Air Acolytes are doing there,"

The Air Acolytes, men and women Aang had started teaching three years ago, to keep the air nomads culture and traditions from being forgotten by all except him and his airbending children. The Western Air Temple housed only female Air Acolytes, as does the Eastern Temple, just as it had been in the past. The Northern and Southern Air Temple held the Male Air Acolytes.

"Oh, okay," Katara was trying to think of something else to keep the conversation flowing, when she heard soft snores filling the silence. A small smile found it's way on her lips and laying down she said, "Goodnight," closing her clear blue eyes, trying to join her companions in dream land.

Rolling over for what felt like the hundredth time, Katara finally gave up and layed on her back, looking up at the twinkling stars. No matter how hard she tried her brain wouldn't turn off, to many thoughts were filling her head, all of them centered around a certain Fire Lord.

The times when they were enemies, having to be on the constant move with him trailing the Gaang. The times when she didn't trust him, having him join the Gaang to teach Aang firebending. The times they were friends, him helping her track down her mother's killer. The times they were allies, fighting with, and afterwards healing him, when he faced his sister. The times they were confidants, when an Ozai support murdered his fiance, Mei, the time her and Aang went their separate ways. The times they were lovers, the simplest embraces and quick kisses when they thought no one was looking, the drunk aftermath of Sokka and Suki's wedding that led to Roku being conceived.

All of it jumbled up, she missed him, every night she dreamed of him she missed him, every time she looked into her son's eyes she missed him, every time she saw happy couples she missed him. Would she be able to handle seeing him again after three years? What would she say to him? Would she say anything to him? What about Roku? Would he notice the similarities between him and her son? They way Roku's eyes were his amber and slanted instead of her blue and round, or the way Roku's face was becoming more slimmer than her round one?

So many questions that were left unanswered kept her awake until the first signs of dawn painted it's way into the sky.

**Next Chapter: We meet a pregnant Toph, and Gyatso's little sister, Lin. A stop to Ba Sing Se reveals an old friend who agrees to teach Roku firebending. **

**I hope you guys remember the air bending trick Gyatso was showing Katara :) **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Zuko had always had a temper, most fire benders do, it wasn't as bad when he was younger, but skyrocketed when he was banished. Now, with the help of his uncle's breathing techniques, the current Fire Lord had it tightly firm grasp on it.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD OF IT!,"

Well, for the most part.

Zuko was in the meeting room where topics such as "Would the farmers have enough food to feed the nation this year," "Were the citizens content, if not why?," "What is the new of the other Kingdoms and Tribes, were they in need of any help," "How is the plans for the construction of Republic City doing?," were discussed, the list went on and on.

The conversation his advisers kept bring up was what had made Zuko to momentarily show his bad temper. It was times like these that he wished his uncle was here during Summer and Winter, but Iroh was only in the Fire Nation in the Fall and Spring to fulfill his teaching role at the school he had taken up at the end of the war.

"You need to find a Fire Lady, is in unheard of for one to go this long without marrying!," one adviser said hotly.

This was true, especially for royalty, they were to be married on their sixteenth through eighteenth year. Ozai had gotten away with it when Ursa was banished since he was in the middle of a war, and already had two fire bending heirs. That, and none of the advisers had wanted to argue with Fire Lord Ozai for fear of being thrown in jail or worse.

Zuko, no longer being a teen, was a tall, strong, and intimidating man. His hair had grown out to the perfect length to be pulled into a formal bob, with the Fire Lord 'crown' tucked in the top.

His supposed to be, Fire Lady Mai had been murdered five years prior by Ozai's supporters. Under normal circumstances she could have dealt with them easily, but the situation was anything but, during her current condition. Mai was in the middle of her fifth month of pregnancy and was told not to go outside the palace gates without him or a couple of guards. But, she had the stubbornness of a fire bender in a non-bender body, and in the end it had gotten her killed. It would have taken the life of their unborn daughter to, if it hadn't been for Zuko being able to get the best healers for the four corners of the world over to the palace almost overnight.

This was where the problems started, being born premature had made the little girl weak, even these five years later Megara was all skin and bone, she couldn't stay outside for long or she would end up in a coughing frenzy, and had to sleep multiple times a day to keep her energy up. Each year the healers would say it would be a miracle if she lived to see the next summer, only for her to prove them all wrong.

The second problem, like Mai, Megara was a Non-bender. If she didn't marry a fire bender, for a chance of producing fire bending heirs, she would be unable to take the throne when Zuko's reign was over.

The last, but not the worst problem, was his heir was female. It was not against any rules for a women to be crowned Fire Lord, they were going to crown Azula before Zuko intervened, but it was more highly look upon for a male to be the crowned heir.

"What about Lady Enya, a Fire Nation nobles daughter, she is still quite young, just reaching her eighteenth year, and would be able to bear strong fire bending sons for you,"

" I've already told you, i won't marry her, or any other stuck up Lady!," venom filling his voice.

"But, my lord-,"

" I'm not marrying!," Zuko yelled, slamming his fist on the table. Feeling silent satisfaction when they all jumped and bowed their heads.

The oldest adviser there, a frail old man, glared at the finely polished table and stood, crossing his bony arms, he said, " Then don't blame us when the royal family is no more, and the Fire Nation has fallen," then walking out with his colleagues.

Zuko sighed and leaned back in his throne like chair, at the head of the table and started massaging his temples, feeling a full fledged headache coming on.

Zuko was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the soft patter of hand crafted slippers on hard wood floor or sense the figure behind him, until soft delicate, slightly wrinkled hands replaced his strong, callused ones.

Looking up, he let a small smile make it's way onto his lips, amber meeting brown eyes. It had been difficult to adjust to the new face of his mother when him and Azula had tracked her down. Knowing she had been living a whole another life without any memory of either of them had been hard to come to terms with, but it had hurt Azula the most, seeing mother with another daughter, he could tell by her actions before she ran off towards the Forgetful Valley, Eight years later ZUko still hasn't given up the search for his sister.

Ursa, having gone back to her former name when she had gotten her memories back, was still beautiful in her old age. Dressed in high class classic red, yellow, and orange colored robes of the Fire Nation nobles.

Even if the advisors didn't consider her, Ikem, and Kiyi a part of the royal family, Zuko still offered them a home here, which they accepted, Ursa wanting to be closer to the only family she had left, even if it was a makeshift one.

Uras just smiled down at her son, she knew how much the advisers could make Zuko lose his temper, and just like her was little, every time he did he would get a headache. That would lead him to running to find her, he would lay his head on her lap and she would rub his temples until he calmed down, not unlike she was doing now.

The subject of marriage being thrown between Zuko and his advisers was nothing new to hear for those who lived in the palace. The advisers were still stuck in the old ways and didn't want to accept times were changing.

"Mom, did anyone tell you have magic fingers?," Zuko asked, his headache already receding. Moments like these, when weakness was shown, was only seen by Ursa. Zuko couldn't let others know or they could start questioning his ability to rule.

A laugh was heard before she said, " I don't know about that, but this always use to work when you were a boy,"

"I know, I remember,"

Ursa was the first to disrupt the comfortable silence that had fallen over the two, taking her hands away from her son's temples, she asked, "Are you ready for the Avatar's visit?,"

"Is it fall already?," The first week of fall was when Aang's next visit was scheduled last time he was here.

"In a few days, it will be,"

Jeez, it was no wonder his advisers were hounding him about getting married and having a "Proper" heir, as they called it. He had been on the throne for a little over nine years, and at the age of twenty-five he still didn't have a Fire Lady. But, besides Mai, the only women he had ever been with or wanted to be with, was someone the advisers would never accept, no matter how much she has done for this nation.

He never regretted the drunk night he spent with Katara at Sokka and Suki's wedding. What he did regret was leaving and not taking her with him, at the time he had just wanted her to have a normal life, without all the responsibility and expectations that came with being Fire Lady. Now he thought himself a fool, having her avoid him at all cost these last three years, he figured she was ashamed of the night they spent out of wedlock.

When Zuko had a down moment his thoughts always drifted to the water bender and what she was doing with her life. Had she moved on? Was she married, if so with who? Someone from one of the Water tribes or the Earth Kingdom? Did she have kids? Every time he thought of her with another man it made his blood boil under his skin.

He would ask Aang how the Southern Water Tribe was fairing, trying to get info on Katara, but Aang was always vague with his answers, obviously trying to hide something, he was never good at lying. Even when Zuko confronted the air bender about it, Aang would find some way to change the subject. It infuriated Zuko to no end.

When you first arrive at the BeiFong mansion you will be greeted with a very elegant garden on each side of the stone walkway, lush, green grass framing each side. The scrubbed walkway leads to a set of polished marble stairs up to a porch, with an overhang held up by white columns. The front of the mansion was a pearly white with shining windows. The whole place screams "Earth Kingdom Noble, that is till you made it to the back yard.

Any innocent, non-earth bending, citizen would have thought that a miniature hurricane had struck just that yard not long ago. The green grass had been turned over, showing the hard dirt underneath. Rocks of all shapes and sizes rest where they had fallen, not having been bothered to be put back in the gaping holes they left behind. There had been no hurricane, miniature or not, this was simply what Toph called training for her two year old daughter.

Lin could truthfully say she had never been as exhausted in her short life as she was now. Not even the time she had crashed from a sugar high when she had found her dad's candy stash, could top how she felt.

Lin's mother had started Lin's training after Lin had accidentally sent a small rock hurtling through a window without touching it. That had been early this morning when the sun had just gotten done rising, now as Lin lay on the ground covered in dirt, her green eyes watched as the sky slowly darkened.

Her limbs were heavy, breathing hard, and she was almost certain her front tooth was loose from where a rock had hit her when she first tried a basic move.

"Now that's what I call a workout," Toph said cracking her knuckles, palms faced away from her. Even though she was covered in a much dirt as her daughter, the former Blind Bandit had barely broken a sweat.

"Can we take a break now?," Lin whined, just wanting a long bath before being tucked into bed.

Using her feet to sense where her daughter was, Toph walked over and stood in front of Lin, blocking the last rays of light from hitting the little girls face, teased, "Come now, Lin, we're only half way through the basics," her smirking grin plastered on her face.

Lin groaned, morphing her face into a pout, knowing her mother would be able to tell what she was doing. Laughing at her daughter's antics, Toph scooped her up bridal style and carried her inside. Toph was not looking forward to the following months when she was too big around the middle to carry Lin and Gyatso.

" Let's get and bath and get you to bed, your dad should be home tomorrow,"

"With Gya?," Lin asked the tiredness leaving her eyes at the mention of the rest of her family.

"Mmhm, and next time they leave we are going to make them take us with them, instead of waiting around in this dusty old house,"

"Yeah, and I can show daddy my earth bending!,"

"I bet he's going to love that,"

**Hope you guys liked chapter three! Didn't get to to Ba Sing Se yet, but that will be in either the next chapter or the chapter after that. I never written Zuko & Toph before, I Zuko was okay, still not sure on Toph. **

**Shoelace22: I know what you mean, that happens to me all the time, lucky there are people out there updating and adding new stories each day :) I'm glad you like the story. **

**Fruipit: Thank you, you are a savior! I try to catch all that before I post the chapter but I'm the only one who edits it, so there is always things I miss. I'm glad there are people like you who take the time to help me out. Thanks again.**

**Guest: A Look into the Future is next on the list, I already have over half of it written. **

**abyro: Thank you and here it is! **


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